Shaft coupling with power storage



Aug. 1933- R. GOLDSCHMIDT 1,923,368

SHAFT COUPLING WITH POWER STORAGE Original Filed Feb. 14, 1924 INVEHTORRudolf Eoldschmidf kTToRZIEY Patented Aug; 22, 1933 evict SHAFT COUPLINGVII'IH rowan sroaaou Rudolf Goldschmidt, Charlottenburg, Germany,assignor, by mesne' assignments, to Nathan Karin, New York, N. Y.

Original application February 14, 1924, Serial new Patent Divided andthis application, ulanuary 29, 193,0.

Serial No. 424,393

3 Claims. (or. 64-97) U My invention refers to coupling devices be tweenrotating shafts with an arrangement for power'storage, whereby aresilient coupling can be secured. The subject matter of this applica- 5tion is a division of application Serial No. filed on February 14, 1924,now Patent 1,758,439.

If two shafts are to be connected by means of a flexible coupling twocases must be distinguished. In the one case, a relatively small inamount of vibration is taken up by the coupling, the coupling serving inthe manner of a vibration insulator or absorber between the two shafts.An ordinary coupling with slight flexibility utilizing springs, leather,or resilient material would serve quite well for such insulatingpurpose. However, the case is quite different if the coupling has thefunction of a regular accumulator or" power, to an amount which forms ahigh percentage of the energy transmitted from one shaft to the other.Then the coupling becomes a storage apparatus, often of the importanceas the motor and the driven machine themselves. The use or" very strongsprings has the disadvantage that the material, after a certain time,deteriorates or iatigues and that the springs taken-p relatively largespace and offer unusual constructional difficulties. The object of tlisinvention is to provide a mechanism or mechanisms which avoid the use ofsprings and allows storage of power with cornparatively very smallweights which occupy very little space and which can be so arran ed withrespect to a system of shafts as to have as much or greater elasticproperties as springs might possess.

Another object is to utilize the centrifugal force of a fly-weight. Thisiiy-weight may be pivoted to a lever, flange or arm fixed to one of theshafts and rotating with it, the radius or" rotation of this fly-weightbeing altered corresponding to the power transmitted by means ofconnecting rods or other elements for obtaining the same effect, thesame means connectingthe fly-weight to a flange or arm fixedto thesecond shaft' In order that the invention may be more clearlyunderstood, reference is hereinafter made to the .bodiment of theprinciple of my invention.

5 is a side View of another preferred em creased to T the reduction andincrease of the re.-

dius of rotation being effected by the pulsation of angular velocity ofthe two shafts relative to one another.

Figs. 2 and 3 show elemental applications of the invention, wherein Athe driving shaft, B the driven shaft. Two pivots C and l) are attachedto the shafts, eccentric to their center of rotation. The pivots C and Dare connected for instance by a flexible cable P. The cable P may carrya weight lv'. i

Fig. 4 illustrates a view of an arrangement where the iiy-weightslviattached tothe pivots ID in con ection with. one of the shafts B, andwhere the radius of the iiy-weights is altered by cans of levers S inconnection with the other shaft A and connecting links 0.

Fig. 5 isa slight modification oi'rig. l where the connecting links Oare eliminated and replaced by a slit in the levers S, in which thepivot C of. the arms or" the weights M can slide. These leverconstructions are shown for illustrative purposes and are not intendedas limiting my invention. The choice of the arrangements depends Iweight link M and through the pivotslD to the shaft 13. As the shaftsgain gal action on the fly-weights M will tend to throw hem out and whenthis centrifugal action exceeds the torque, the pin 0 will assume anintermediate position as illustrated in the diagram. When the shaft isoperated in this intermediate position, any change in torque opposingthe rotation of the shaft 13 will result in a sliding action of thepivot C either inwards or outwards, depending on whether this opposingtorque has 111- creased or decreased. In either case, the flyweights Mwill tend toassuine a new position, wherein their centrifugal forceswill oppose the torque transmitted through its coupling. 7

While I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, I desirethat it be. understood that equivalents may be employed and that nolimitations upon the invention are intended other speed, thecentrifuthan are imposed by' the scope of the following claims:-

What I claim is: v

1. Mechanism for coupling together two shafts with a connectionresilient by virtue of centrifugal forces comprising a lever arm,mounted on one end of said shafts, fly-Weights pivoted to the ends ofsaid lever, a second lever mounted on said other shaft, slots on saidsecond lever, pivots on said first lever for co-operating with saidslots to form a lost motion connection between said arms, saidfly-weights being free to. change their radius of rotation under theinfluence of centrifugal forces except as restrained by the turn-- ingmoment communicated from one shaft to the other through said lost motionconnection.

2. Mechanism for couplingtogether two rotating shafts with a connectionresilient by virtue of centrifugal forces comprising eccentricpivots onone of said shafts, fly-weights arranged to rotate freely on said pivotsand coupling means to said second shaft including a sliding connectionwith increasingradius whereby the fly-weights are restrained frommovement due to centrifugal forces by the forces at said slidingconnection resulting from the torque communicated through said coupling.

RUDOLF GOLDSCHMIDT.

3. Mechanism for coupling together two rotat-

